SEOUL, Apr 28 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea’s childbirth logged the lowest Feb figure, fueling worry about the so-called demographic cliff, statistical office data showed today.
The number of newborn babies was 21,461 in Feb, down 5.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the lowest Feb reading, since data began to be compiled in 1981.
The figure continued to slide for 63 months since Dec, 2015, amid the rising social trend of delayed marriage and the falling number of women who are of childbearing age.
The low birth rate boosted concern about the demographic cliff, which refers to a drop in the heads of household, eventually leading to a consumption cliff.
The number of marriages was 14,973 in Feb, down 21.6 percent from a year ago. It was lower than any Feb reading since 1981.
The marriage fall came, as the COVID-19 pandemic discouraged people from participating in social gatherings, such as wedding ceremony.
The number of divorces declined 5.7 percent over the year to 7,759 in Feb.
The number of deaths was 23,774 in Feb, down 6.5 percent from a year earlier.
Because of the rapid fall in childbirth compared to deaths, the country’s population kept skidding for 16 months in a row.– NNN-YONHAP
